Despite sanctions call, UK approves arms to Russia

London • Britain is still authorizing the export of arms and military equipment to Russia despite the government's call for tough sanctions over Moscow's arming of separatist rebels in Ukraine, a group of lawmakers said in a report Wednesday.

A group of legislative committees that oversee arms export controls said there are 251 export licenses in place for sale of goods worth at least 132 million pounds ($225 million) to Russia. The report did not detail actual exports, simply the licenses.

"Russia is an authoritarian regime," said the committees' chairman, Conservative lawmaker John Stanley. "We should have been applying a more cautious approach for some time in regard to Russia."

Britain has been the most vocal European advocate of tougher sanctions on Russia since the downing of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet last week. Western governments believe rebels shot down the plane with a Russian-made missile, killing all 298 people aboard.

Prime Minister David Cameron has criticized France for going through with a deal to sell warships to Russia.

In March, then-Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain would halt the sale to Russia of military equipment that could be used against Ukraine. The lawmakers' report said 31 licenses had since been revoked or suspended.

The British government said Wednesday that its policy was not to export anything that could be used for internal repression or against Ukraine. It said most of the exported material was for non-military uses.

It said all licenses were kept under review.

UK exports represent only a fraction of total sales to Russia, which has spent $58 billion on defense in 2014, said Guy Anderson, a senior principal analyst for aerospace, defense and security at IHS Jane's.